This was not a bad game at all with St Gerard's a conversion away from forcing an early exit for King's Hospital at Lakelands Park, Terenure, yesterday.

To the fore was scrum-half Philip Caldwell, who scored the first try and had a hand in the last, as King's Hospital opened up a seemingly unassailable lead of 13 points with 13 minutes gone in the second half.

But St Gerard's showed great endeavour and tries from Alex Searson and Dan Silverlock, the latter converted by number eight Michael Costigan, left just a point between the two sides.

The early stages saw St Gerard's cancel out an early Caldwell try with two penalties from Costigan and a Simon Hunt drop goal then put them two points in front.

But three minutes before the break, King's Hospital regained the lead with forwards Alan Trenier and Craig Ashmore Butler taking their side deep into the St Gerard's 22 before hooker David Myers completed the move.

Scorers: King's Hospital: B McKeever try and conversion, C Ashmore-Butler try, P Caldwell try, D Myers try; St Gerard's: M Costigan 2 penalties, conversion, A Searson try, D Silverlock try, S Hunt drop goal.

King's Hospital: N Flanagan; S Rand, J Wynne, B McKeever, R Sheridan; A Sullivan, P Caldwell; R Milligan, D Myers, A Bennet, A Trenier, E Wardell, O Ekuma-Nkama, C Hannon, C Ashmore-Butler.

St Gerard's: D McKechnie; S O Connell, B Behan, S Hunt, A Searson; J Galvin, D Silverlock; L Farrell, A Durkan, R Moran , B Fitzmaurice, E Flinn, C Mandal, E Roche, M Costigan.

Referee: M Gillick (ARLB).